EVEREST UNMASKED - Video
The First Ascent without Oxygen
Above
8,000 metres in the Himalaya there is only a fraction of the oxygen
at sea-level. Climbers suffer sickness and headaches and risk life threatening
oedemas. Just taking a step needs a tremendous effort. It's know as
the Death Zone.
Italian
and Austrian mountaineers Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler face all
these dangers and more when they become the first humans to climb Mount
Everest without supplementary oxygen. Everest Unmasked follows them
on their route through the Khumbu icefall into the Western Cwm then
up to the South Col and Summit.
It
also traces the history - both tragic and triumphant of previous attempts
on the mountain including Mallory and Irvine's disappearance in 1924
and Hillary and Tensing's success in 1953.
Produced
by Leo Dickinson & HTV